U.S. ready for Belgium, eyeing Russian semifinal
By Charles Bricker | South Florida Sun-Sentinel | Posted April 21 2007
DELRAY BEACH · No one connected with the U.S. team is going to publicly make the mistake of looking past this weekend's mismatched Fed Cup matchup against Belgium, but privately there has been a lot of thinking about a U.S.-Russia semifinal in Stowe, Vt., in July.
The dream is lineups that include Venus and Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
Nothing is going to be finalized until after the Americans eliminate Belgium's stripped-down team of No. 132 Kirsten Flipkens and No. 227 Caroline Maes, and Stowe might not even be the venue.
But there's enough quiet discussion about partnering with a major development company in Vermont and the rapid construction of a 5,000-seat stadium by the USTA to make Stowe sound like a front-runner.
First, however, the Williams sisters need to notch three wins today and Sunday while Russia, hosting Spain, wins with Svetlana Kuznetsova and Nadia Petrova, both top 10s, on red clay indoors in Moscow.
If that happens as expected, then the next step would be to convince the Williams sisters to come back for the next round, July 14-15, and get Sharapova to play as well. Read more
***
Tennis Week Magazine: August 2006
"A Slammin Good Time" by Andrew Chmura
I am not one of those people who can remember my first grade teacher's name or where I picked up the milk from the lunch lady. However, I do remember the evening of my fourth birthday when my sister, Connie, re-gifted her wooden Chrissie Evert tennis racquet to me. After the cake and ice cream, she took me out to the driveway and peppered me with at least 20 balls until I finally made contact. I will never forget that feeling, the euphoria of making contact with the ball and watching it sail into the wind... Read more |
***
ACE Magazine: March 2006
"French Polish " by Simon Mundie
It's May 2005, and I'm wilting under the hot sun on an outside court at Roland Garros. My American host pipes up: "You mark my words. Mariano Puerta is going to do very well this year - I'm tipping him to get to the semi-finals at least." Suggestions like these are to be scoffed at - after all, the Argentine had not long... Read more |